Center for Archaeological Studies, Center for Archaeological Studies, University of South Alabama: http://www.usouthal.edu/archaeology/center.htm
This well-designed site showcases the work of archaeologists at the University of South Alabama in their excavations of Old Mobile and other southern Alabama sites. From 1702 to 1711, Mobile served as the capital of the French colony of Louisiana. Visitors can “virtually visit” seven dig sites in and around present-day Mobile, Alabama: the town of Old Mobile (1702–1711); the Mississippian Indian city of Bottle Creek (1100–1400); the Indian fishing site of Dauphin Island Shell Mounds (1100–1550); the French village of Port Dauphin (1702–1725); the Dog River Plantation site, home of the Rochon family and numerous Indians and slaves (1720s-1848); Augustin Rochon’s home at the Dog River Plantation site; and sites in downtown Mobile that include the remains of a Spanish colonial house (ca. 1800), refuse from an early 19th-century riverfront tavern, and antebellum cotton warehouses. Each link includes a 1000-word essay with roughly 6 images of the present-day dig, maps and images of the area as it looked while it flourished, and artifacts found at the site. Another section features more than 250 images of pottery shards found at the sites, about 50 of which are accompanied by 50-word descriptive captions. The remaining shards are accompanied by notes on the color, vintage, and type of pottery. An education section provides six K-12 lesson plans, with topics on the importance of culture, how archaeology can provide clues to the past, pottery analysis, and preservation. The site also includes links to seven sites on other French colonies and links to 30 other sources for archaeological education and dig projects. This site is ideal for those interested in archaeology and historic preservation issues.
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